Wednesday, 20 February 2019

Hades and Persephone Like You've Never Seen Them Before - Blinding Night Review

*Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author for review consideration. This does in no way affect my opinion, and all thoughts expressed in this review are unbiased and my own.*
Title: Blinding Night
Series: Blinding Night #1
Author: Chantal Gadoury
My rating: 4 hearts
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Pub. date: October 2, 2018
Publisher: The Parliament House
SynopsisWhat if you were the missing piece in one of the world’s most epic legends? 

Despite being an art history student, Summer isn’t thrilled to be stuck with her archeologist family all summer in Greece. While the rest of her college friends are posting a million selfies by the pool together, Summer is stuck alone, trying to entertain herself alone in a place where she doesn’t even speak the language. 

Upon her arrival to Greece, strange dreams and even stranger shadows seem to haunt Summer, leaving her to ponder the meaning of pomegranate seeds and twisted, darkened faces. 

Suddenly, her stay abroad leads to tragic twists, leaving Summer in the arms of a dark stranger, who claims to be the god, Hades, whom she feels like she knows from another life. In a whirlwind through the busy streets of Athens, Summer is seduced to the lowest point of Greece where Hades’ lair awaits…the Underworld. Determined to find out who she is and where she belongs in an age-old myth, Summer joins Hades to discover that the secrets about her past life are beyond anything she could have ever imagined. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been really interested in and fascinated by mythology – and especially Greek mythology. I’ve spend lots of time reading about all the different myths and stories, and even more time searching for books with mythology in them. I’ve read a lot of different takes on Greek mythology, and I can easily say that this is my favorite one so far. I’ve always been especially interested in the story of Hades and Persephone, so of course I had to try this one, and it was such a unique, original take on the story. 

I absolutely loved the mythology in it. It was well-researched, and the author used lesser-known parts of the story, creating a world to get lost in. It was a unique and heart-breaking take on the original story. And the plot, with all its’ mystery and general creepiness had me up at night, unable to sleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about the book. I also loved the settings – it really added to the story in a way that is rare. The mix of the creepy Underworld and sunny Greece was amazing.

Okay, I’m going to be honest here: reincarnated lovers isn’t usually my thing. I’ve read maybe two books with that, neither of which I particularly liked. I didn’t know beforehand that this had that, and I’m so glad I did, because if I had known, I might not have picked it up. But it worked in this book. Despite that, Summer still was her own character, and the romance was still slow-building and freaking intense. By now, you probably know I’m a sucker for lots of tension, and this one had in.

Blinding Night was a heart-breaking reimagining of the story of Hades of Persephone, with lesser-known parts of the story that added to the mystery and settings that made the book even more magical. This is the story of Hades and Persephone like you’ve never seen it before, and it will keep you up at night, desperate to find out how things will end.

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